Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Covington city, VA
Covington city's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 24.6% low-access.
- 24.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.2%
- on SNAP
- 6K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Covington city, VA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.5 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 18.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hampton city (+ 0.4 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Covington city ranks #1,317 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #41 of 123 counties in VA (24.6% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,317
- national by low-access %
- #41
- in VA
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 646
- food-desert residents
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA).
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Covington city compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Covington city's 24.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,317 most-affected nationwide.
Covington city: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 2 of Covington city's tracts are urban in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 1-mile test, the stricter of the two distance thresholds.
Covington city low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Virginia, not a full county-board reprint
- Highland
Highland 99.7%
99.7 % low-access
- Hanover 25.3
Hanover 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Bristol city 25.3
Bristol city 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Hampton city 25
Hampton city 25%
25 % low-access
- Covington city 24.6
Covington city 24.6%
24.6 % low-access
- Chesapeake ci… 24.1
Chesapeake ci… 24.1%
24.1 % low-access
- Dickenson 0
Dickenson 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,961 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,469 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 646 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,680 |
| Median Household Income | $41,944 |
| Poverty Rate | 25.7%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 470 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
SNAP retailers in Covington city
Covington city has 12 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 12 authorized stores are in Covington, 2 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
Convenience Store · 5
- go mart 124, covington
- inkazteca tienda latina, covington
- love's travel stop 707, covington
- stop in food stores 8055, covington
- valero mart, covington
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- cvs 6326, covington
- dollar general 0268, covington
- dollar tree 979, covington
- family dollar 302, covington
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- adrain michael farms, covington
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2662, covington
Supermarket · 1
- food lion 1081, covington
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Virginia
One of 132 counties in Virginia, 6 are shown here.
Compare Covington city vs Accomack County → · All Virginia counties →
Virginia among South Atlantic states
Virginia ranks 8th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (20.4%). Covington city, at 24.6%, runs 4.2 pts above the Virginia rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Covington city, VA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 51580. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.